New Delhi: India’s overall Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), for persons aged 15 years and above, rose to 54.6 per cent during April–June 2026, reflecting the increase in employment in the country, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation on Monday.
The urban LFPR for persons aged 15 years and above remained unchanged at 50.2 per cent during April–June 2026.
The male LFPR (15 years and above) in urban areas increased marginally to 75.3 per cent in April–June 2026, from 75 per cent in the previous quarter.
The urban Worker Population Ratio (WPR) for persons aged 15 years and above remained stable at 46.8 per cent during April–June 2026, according to the official data.
The share of regular wage employees among persons aged 15 years and above increased in both rural and urban areas, rising from 15.5 per cent to 16.1 per cent in rural areas and from 48.9 per cent to 49.3 per cent in urban areas, indicating that there was an improvement in the quality of jobs of the people employed.
The share of employment in the secondary sector for persons aged 15 years and above increased in both rural and urban areas during April–June 2026.
Also, the share of employment in the tertiary sector for persons aged 15 years and above recorded an increase in rural areas during April–June 2026.
Notably, the urban Unemployment Rate (UR) for persons aged 15 years and above remained broadly stable at 6.7 per cent during April–June 2026, the statement said.
At the all-India level, the quarterly estimates are based on information collected from a total of 5,59,673 persons surveyed both in rural and urban areas. Out of these, 2,40,881 persons were surveyed in urban areas and as many as 3,18,792 in rural areas.
The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), conducted by National Statistics Office (NSO), is the primary source of data on activity participation and employment and unemployment conditions of the population. The PLFS survey methodology has been modified from January, 2025 to provide monthly and quarterly estimates of labour force indicators for the country.
(IANS)
